1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a child restraint lower anchorage system for the seat of a motor vehicle and used with.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Child restraints may protect small children in a motor vehicle from harm in an accident. To fully protect a child, however, the child restraints must be properly latched to the vehicle. A number of countries, including the United States, require particular latching mechanisms anchored to the motor vehicle itself and not merely the seat, such as upper tethers and lower anchorages.
The motor vehicle's lower anchorage for a child restraint has an anchorage bar attached to the seat frame and consequently the motor vehicle. The child restraint attaches to the anchorage bars, either with a tether hook or jaw-like latches. The configuration of the anchorage bars, such as their dimensions, strength and locations, are specified by government regulations and laws. The anchorage bars are in the bight of the vehicle seat, where the back and bottom of the vehicle seat meet. This location allows passengers in the motor vehicle to sit comfortably in the seat when not using a child restraint.
A buried anchorage bar, however, can be difficult to latch onto with the child restraint. The anchorage bars are not always easy to find, requiring one to fumble around in the bight to find the anchorage bars to attach the child restraint. This is both time consuming and frustrating, especially if one has a squirming child to watch while latching the child restraint to the seat. For a bus transporting young children, this fumbling about is very time consuming for the bus driver.
Some jurisdictions require passengers in a school bus to wear a seat belt. These school buses have bench seats with seat belts. Smaller and younger children as found in the lower grades and nursery schools, however, may not be fully protected with a standard seat belt and therefore must use a child restraint instead. Some organizations require requires the installation of the anchorage systems for the child restraints. Anchorage systems provide the ability to quickly and easily latch and unlatch the child restraint to seat and unseat the small child.
Therefore, there is a need for a lower anchorage system that allows the easy latching of a child restraint in a motor vehicle seat. This system must be easily accessible to use with a child restraint without being uncomfortable for a passenger sitting on the seat without the child restraint.